Here’s a nice photo tutorial on making fire and smoke effects for your wargames miniatures. The author has done a nice job on this one.
Modeling
Make Your Own Laser Cutter
The Instructables site has a tutorial on making your own laser cutter. It uses a pair of old scanners for aligning the x and y axes. The entire project can be done for under $50. As far as I can tell, it will only cut paper … but with a stronger laser and power supply, maybe you could cut cardboard counters, or cardboard bases.
Making Moon Sand
My son got a substance called Moon Sand for his December birthday, and I was immediately struck by the product’s potential for wargaming. It’s basically a sand-like substance that holds its shape like playdough. Perfect for sand tables.
The problem is that it’s very expensive. I saw some big buckets of it at Sam’s Club, but even there you’re talking $4 to $5 a pound.
But as it turns out, someone has already concocted a recipe for recreating the stuff on a much cheaper basis. You can find the recipe for Moon Sand here.
Building A Mole Machine
One of those great ideas that never was is the mole machine — a transport with a giant drill on the front that carries troops under enemy lines.
Here are some instructions for building one for your 28mm troops.
Sculpting A Knight Tutorial
I think that everyone who has ever played with miniatures has thought of sculpting one. Here’s a nice tutorial on sculpting a knight.